Land acquisition for Gaggal airport expansion begins

Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, May 30

The Kangra district administration has started the exercise for the acquisition of land for the Gaggal airport expansion.

Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, Sandeep Kumar, when contacted by The Tribune, said in-principle approval had been given by the state government for the expansion of the Gaggal airport. “We are now preparing revenue record of the land that has to be acquired for the expansion,” the Deputy Commissioner said.

Though the district administration has started the process of preparing revenue record for acquiring land required for expansion of the airport, sources here said it was not going to be an easy task as the issue of who would pay for the land to be acquired was yet to be settled. During the stint of the previous Congress government, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had asked the state government to bear the expense of land acquisition for expansion.

The sources said as per the initial proposal for the Gaggal airport expansion, 50 per cent equity participation was to be done by the state government and the rest by the AAI. The state government would put its equity in the form of providing land for expansion of the airport.

The authorities had calculated the cost of land to be acquired for airport expansion at about Rs 270 crore. With the state having meagre resources, it was unlikely to spend such a huge amount on acquisition of land.

The sources said now that there were BJP governments both at the Centre and the state, the authorities here feel that they might push for acquisition of land by the AAI or with financial help from the Union Government.

The airport at Gaggal is the busiest in the state. The domestic airport receives four flights daily. The air traffic to the region is highest in Himachal and generally the flights are packed to capacity. The airfare from Dharamsala to Delhi is also among the highest in the region. The airfare for the two hour flight ranges from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000. In peak season the airfare goes up to Rs 18,000 to Rs 21,000.

The proposal for expansion of airport was first raised due to international cricket matches at the HPCA Stadium at Dharamsala. During the IPL matches here the airport received nine chartered flights. The proposal for expansion was mooted so that the airport can accommodate international flights.

If the airport is made big enough to receive international flights it will give a big boost to tourism in the area. Most of the teachings of the Dalai Lama, which were earlier a major source of tourism revenue, have been shifted out of Dharamsala on the plea that the area does not have good air connectivity. The Dalai Lama teachings are attended by international tourists who generally prefer to come in direct flights.

The Gaggal airport generally receives 70-seat planes. In case the airport is expanded it could become the first and only airport of Himachal capable of receiving international flights.

Busiest airport 

Airport at Gaggal is the busiest in Himachal. The domestic airport receives four flights daily. The air traffic to the region is highest in Himachal and generally the flights are packed to capacity. The airfare from Dharamsala to Delhi is also among the highest in the region. The airfare for the two hour flight ranges from  Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000. In peak season the airfare goes up to Rs 18,000 to Rs 21,000.